Lowell Observatory Colloquia

Integrating Lunar Sample and Remote Sensing Data to Understand the Asymmetry of the Moon

Justin Hagerty, USGS

The near and far sides of the Moon exhibit striking differences with respect to their compositional and physical characteristics. One of the limiting factors in understanding the Moon's asymmetry is our more limited knowledge about the lunar far side. In order to learn more about the far side of the Moon and to understand the potential causes for the Moon's asymmetry, it is necessary to leverage the strengths of both sample and remote sensing data. By combining compositional analyses of lunar basalts (returned by the Apollo missions) with global gamma ray spectroscopy, it has been possible to investigate the interior of the lunar far side, which in turn has resulted in a new model for the evolution of our nearest neighbor.